Filter cigarette incorporating vitamin a

ABSTRACT

A cigarette is disclosed for introducing Vitamin A into the mouth and the respiratory tract of a smoker which consists of incorporating in the filter of a filter cigarette a stabilized form of Vitamin A. The Vitamin A is in the form of a stabilized aqueous emulsion of an active Vitamin A or the active esters thereof. The stabilized form of the Vitamin A used is such as to provide stability over long period of storage before use in smoking.

United States Patent Waterbury [54] FILTER CIGARETTE INCORPORATING VITAMIN A y [72] Inventor: Nelson J. Waterbury, Palm Beach, Fla.

[73] Assignees: F. Barry Haskett, Ocean City, N.J.: Joan Hixon Martin, Washington, DC. part interest to each Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to Sept. 5, 1984, has been disclaimed.

[22] Filed: July 17, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 842,475

Related US. Application Data Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 666,810, Sept. 11, 1967, Pat. No. 3,525,582, which is a continuation-inpart of Ser. No. 617,219, Feb. 20, 1967, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 590,392, Oct. 28, 1966, Pat. No. 3,339,558.

[52] U.S.Cl ..131/9, 131/17 [51] Int. Cl ..A24d 01/06, A24b 15/02 [58] Field ofSearch ..13l/2,15,17,140-144, 131/10.1, 10; 252/316 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,144,024 8/1964 Eichwald et al ..131/200 X 1 *June 6, 1972 2,809,637 10/1957 Hale ..131/9 3,047,433 7/1962 l 3avley ..131/17 3,242,057 3/ 1966 Hies tand et all 3,445,563 5/1969 Clegg et a1. ..252/316 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,173,793 10/1958 France ..131/9 OTHER PUBLICATIONS The Dispensatory of the United States of America- Osol and Farrar pub. by Lippincott Co., Phila, Pa. p. 912 and 913 cited.

Serial No. 261,049 Lande (A.P.C.) pub. May 11, 1943 Primary ExaminerMelvin D. Rein Attorney-Sherman and Shalloway [57] ABSTRACT A cigarette is disclosed for introducing Vitamin A into the mouth and the respiratory tract of a smoker which consists of incorporating in the filter of a filter cigarette a stabilized form of Vitamin A. The Vitamin A is in the form of a stabilized aqueous emulsion of an active Vitamin A or the active esters thereof. The stabilized form of the Vitamin A used is such as to provide stability over long period of storage before use in smoking.

%, l! m 59m s. Figures PATENTEDJUN s 1912 FIG. 4

R W U B HR m W J N O S L E N Ski/MM if Shallow ATTORNEYS FILTER CIGARETTE INCORPORATING VITAMIN A This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 666,810 filed Sept. 11, 1967 now U.S. Pat.

No. 3,525,582, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 617,219 filed Feb. 20, 1967 now abandoned, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 590,392 filed Oct. 28, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,558.

' The present invention relates to an improved article for introducing Vitamin A into the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker: More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved filter cigarette containing a stabilized dispersion of Vitamin A in the filter section thereof. I

In recent years there has been considerable research conducted throughout the world with respect to the relationship between cigarette smoking and various diseases such as lung cancer, throat cancer, emphysema and heart trouble. This research and study has culminated in the recent United States Surgeon-Generals Report which indicates a definite correlation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer.

Considerable research has also been conducted in an attempt to isolate and determine the nature of the ingredient in the smoke of cigarettes and other smoking articles which causes these ailments. It has been determined that there are a great number of carcinogenic substances in the smoke of tobacco, the most notable of these being 3,4-benzopyrene.

Attempts to isolate this material and similar carcinogenic materials found in the smoke of tobacco and remove these materials therefrom have not been successful enough to bring a safer cigarette to the public market. These attempts have included various methods of treating the tobacco while growing, and after it has been prepared for use in a smoking article so as to isolate and eliminate the harmful constituents. Such attempts, however, have not been successfully adopted in that such treatment cannot effectively remove a substantial portion of the carcinogenic materials because of the inability of such treating methods to effectively isolate these materials.

Previous attempts to filter out the carcinogenic material from cigarette smoke or the smoke from similar smoking articles have been completely unsuccessful since no adequate filtering means has yet been devised which can effectively eliminate these materials without simultaneously removing, to an appreciable extent, the desirable aroma and taste of the cigarette smoke.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,558 a filter cigarette is provided, which has as its object an improved cigarette containing a filtering medium having within the same a rupturable capsule containing a controlled amount of Vitamin A and method of introducing the same into the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker. In accordance with the invention disclosed and claimed in such U.S. patent the application of pressure to the rupturable capsule located within the filtering medium of the cigarette causes the capsule to break and thereby release the active Vitamin A for exposure to the smoke passing through the filtering medium so that after the cigarette is lit and suction applied, tiny droplets or an aerosol of the active Vitamin A will be carried in the smoke to the respiratory tract of the smoker. Since Vitamin A is a material especially valuable with respect to the maintenance of good health especially with regard to the epithelial tissue, the introduction of Vitamin A into the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker through the employment of the rupturable capsule containing the same within the filtering medium provides for an extremely advantageous method of introducing such Vitamin A.

Again, the invention disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,558 requires that the rupturable capsule containing the active Vitamin A be broken immediately prior to smoking so that the active material will become dispersed within the filtering medium thereby accessible to the smoke passing therethrough.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention a filter of a filter cigarette has incorporated within the body thereof a dispersion of a stabilized form of Vitamin A, e.g., a stable Vitamin A emulsion. Such stabilized forms of Vitamin A, as to be hereinafter described, are capable of remaining stable and providing high levels of active Vitamin A even after prolonged periods of storage, and, accordingly, are able to provide .a form of the active Vitamin A which can be more easily entrained in tobacco smoke and delivered to the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker.

Still further objects of the novel cigarette and method of the present invention will become more apparent from the following more detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-filter cigarette having an incorporation of the stabilized vitamin;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a filter cigarette in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the tobacco charge of the non-filter or filter cigarette of FIG. 1 or 2 showing the presence of a dispersion of a stabilized form of active Vitamin A;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the filter medium of the filter cigarette of FIG. 2 illustrating the presence of a dispersion of a stabilized form of active Vitamin A in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the filter cigarette of FIG. 2 illustrating yet a further embodiment.

As indicated above, the aforementioned objects and advantages of the novel cigarette of the present invention are achieved by dispersing throughout a filter medium of a filter cigarette.

As employed throughout the instant specification and claims, the expression Vitamin A active material" is meant to embrace such Vitamin A itself or its derivatives which when taken into the body act in a manner similar to Vitamin A by releasing the active component.

In this connection, it is well known that Vitamin A or derivatives of Vitamin A,i.e., Vitamin A alcohol or esters, e. g., Vitamin A acetate, Vitamin A plamitate, etc., are fat-soluble materials which are difficulty stabilized, that is, it is difficult to provide stable compositions containing such materials such that a long shelf life is provided whereby the activity of the Vitamin A is not degraded over periods of long storage.

As indicated above, Vitamin A and similar fat-soluble vitamins are difficultly stabilized, it being generally required that compositions containing the same additionally contain one or more antioxidants or stabilizers and one or more emulsifiers or dispersing agents capable of dispersing the fat-soluble vitamin in an environment in which such material is not readily soluble. Here again, therefore, as employed throughout the instant specification and claims, the expression stabilized Vitamin A is meant to embrace any of such stabil ized forms of the active component, as hereinafter described. Thus, this term as employed throughout the instant specification and claims is meant to embrace Vitamin A compositions wherein the vitamin is stabilized against decomposition and loss of activity upon storage and exposure to atmospheric conditions by including one or more antioxidants or stabilizers capable of stabilizing the active component and/or one or more emulsifying or dispersing agents capable of providing a stable composition in an environment in which the fat-soluble vitamin is generally not soluble.

Such stabilized forms of Vitamin A and its derivatives, as briefly described above, are well known.

As indicated previously, a preferred type of stabilized Vitamin A composition suitably employed in accordance with the present invention comprises an aqueous emulsion of thereof can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,628,930; 3,149,037; and 3,384,545; the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.

Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,930 describes a stable aqueous emulsion of Vitamin A wherein the fat or lipoidsoluble vitamin, i.e., Vitamin A or its derivatives is co-emulsified with a mixture of materials comprising gelatin, ascorbyl palmitate and a higher fatty acid monoester of glycerol or propylene glycol. Such an emulsion capable of providing a stable composition containing other components such as antioxidants, stabilizers, sweetening agents, etc. Accordingly, exemplary emulsions as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,930 include such as:

3.5 g. synthetic Vitamin A palmitate having a potency of 1,710,000 International Units/g.

0.812 g. glyceryl monostearate 0.406 g. l-ascorbyl palmitate 4.0 g. gelatin (=80 cc. of percent gelatin solution, pH 8.5)

5.0 cc. glycerol U. S. P.

3.5 g. synthetic Vitamin A palmitate having a potency of 1 million International Units/g.

. 0.812 g. glyceryl monostearate 0.406 g. l-ascorbyl palmitate 3.5 g. sesame oil 4.0 g. gelatin (=80 cc. of 5 percent gelation solution, pH 8.5)

5.0 cc. glycerol U. S. P.

0.13 g. citric acid (1 mol water) 0.94 g. Na HPQ, anhydrous 0.35 g. Na SO anhydrous Distilled water q.s. 100 cc.

Additionally, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,545 describes an aqueous emulsion of Vitamin A or its derivatives wherein the active Vitamin A is stabilized in an aqueous emulsion form by employing a mixture of emulsifiers comprising glycerine and a biologically effective emulsifier comprising a polyoxyethylene ether of castor oil. Thus, for example, a suitable emulsifying agent to be employed in conjunction with the Vitamin A or its derivative and glycerine comprises the reaction product of ethylene oxide and castor oil in a ratio of about 20 to 40 mols of ethylene oxide per mol of castor oil. The ether linkage is formed with the hydroxy groups of the ricinoleic acid component of the castor oil. Such emulsifying agents are sold under various trade names including, for example, Emulphor EL-620, Emulphor EL-7l9, Prosol E-4329 and Lipal 25-C.

As indicated in U. 8. Pat. No. 3,384,545, in addition to the essential vitamin, glycerine, polyoxyethylene ether of castor oil and water, the aqueous emulsion of the active Vitamin A can contain other suitable components such as preservatives, antioxidants, etc. Thus, for example, suitable antioxidants include such as butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, propyl gallate, a-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, alkali metal salts of ascorbic acid, etc. All such antioxidants are nontoxic and can be taken internally freely. A particularly effective antioxidant mixture for Vitamin A, particularly Vitamin A palmitate, a very effective source of Vitamin A comprises substantially equal parts by weight of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene.

Accordingly, an exemplary aqueous emulsion prepared in accordance with the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,545 and exceptionally effective in accordance with the present invention includes such as:

Mg. Vitamin A palmitate 75.0 Butylated hydroxytoluene 1.3 Butylated hydroxyanisole 1.3 Polyoxyethylene ether of castor oil 160.0 Glycerine 72.0

Disodium salt of ethylenediamine-tetra- Distilled water, qs. to 1 ml.

Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 3,149,037 discloses an emulsifiable composition by which a stable form of Vitamin A or its derivatives can be provided. Thus, the emulsifiable solution disclosed in such U.S. patent contains in addition to the fat-soluble vitamins, liquid glycerines, i. e., glycerol triesters of lower molecular weight fatty acids, benzyl alcohol, and emulsifying agents, e. g., polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters, and polyethylene glycol esters, of fatty acids having from 16 to 18 carbon atoms in their chain.

Again, such an emulsifiable composition can contain various stabilizers or antioxidants, as previously specified.

It should be noted that any and all of the above-identified aqueous emulsions of Vitamin A or its derivatives can be employed in accordance with the present invention. Again, it is pointed out that such aqueous emulsions of Vitamin A or its derivatives generally comprise aqueous systems containing the fat or lipoid-soluble vitamin and one or more emulsifying agents together with one or more suitable antioxidants. Accordingly, it is noted again that as employed throughout the instant specification and claims the expression stabilized Vitamin A is meant to embrace all of the above aqueous emulsions and similar compositions by which the active Vitamin A is provided in a stable form.

Closely analogous to the above-described aqueous emulsions of Vitamin A or its derivatives are gelatin beadlets or droplets which again contain Vitamin A and provide stability for the active vitamin.

Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,138,532 and 3,143,475 disclose suitable gelatin beadlets containing an active form of the fat-soluble Vitamin A.

Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,532 relates to waterdispersible gelatin composition in the form of droplets or beadlets containing Vitamin A and consisting of gelatin, ascorbic acid, a mixture of ascorbic acid and citric acid, or a mixture of citric acid and sorbose and the fat-soluble active vitamin. Optional ingredients include, again, antioxidants or stabilizers for the vitamin and plasticizers such as commonly employed in connection with gelatin compositions. Thus, for example, suitable beadlets which can be employed in accordance with the present invention can be prepared from the following composition:

It is to be noted that such a formulation is quite similar to the above-described aqueous emulsions of Vitamin A except that a droplet or beadlet is formed through the employment of gelatin or similar colloidal material. Even in the form of such beadlet or droplet, however, the stabilized active Vitamin A can be easily entrained by the smoke passing through the filtering element in accordance with the present invention.

A similar patent illustrating the preparation of Vitamin-containing gelatin beadlets is U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,475. Such beadlets or droplets are prepared in accordance with this patent from an emulsion of the fat-soluble vitamin active material, e. g., Vitamin A or its derivatives, water, gelatin, i. e., a type A gelatin, totally invert sugar, a water-soluble antioxidam, and an oil-soluble antioxidant. The droplets are formed from such an emulsion and collected in a vegetable oil so as to produce the gelatin beadlets containing the stabilized form of the active vitamin.

In accordance with the description in this patent the oilsoluble antioxidant can comprise any of those previously mentioned with respect to the aqueous emulsion systems containing Vitamin A, while the water-soluble antioxidant employed in the emulsion in the production of the gelatin beadlets can comprise any pharmaceutically acceptable water-soluble antioxidant. These include such as sodium meta bisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium formaldehyde sulfoxalate, ascorbic acid, etc.

Again, in accordance with the present invention as employed throughout the instant specification and claims the term stabilized Vitamin A" is meant to embrace such droplet or beadlet forms of gelatin containing active vitamin.

Other exemplary stabilized fat-soluble Vitamin A compositions, including emulsions, solution, and aqueous concentrations can be found, for example, in the following US. Pat. Nos.: 2,051,257; 2,389,955; 2,410,590; 2,412,561; 2,417,299;

Common to all of the above disclosed compositions containing Vitamin A is the feature that through the employment of one or more antioxidants or stabilizers or one or more emulsifying or dispersing agents a stable Vitamin A composition is produced which is free from substantial decomposition or degradation or other loss of activity upon prolonged periods of storage. Accordingly, all such stabilized forms of Vitamin A can be used with advantage in accordance with the novel cigarette and method of the present invention. The disclosures of the above-noted patents, therefore, are hereby incorporated by reference, it being noted that the expression stabilized Vitamin A as employed throughout the instant specification and claims is meant to embrace compositions such as disclosed in the above and similar U. S. patents.

While the above-described stabilized forms of Vitamin A and its derivatives have generally taken the form of gelatin beadlets or droplets or aqueous solutions or emulsions of the active vitamin, other forms such as stable dry solid forms of Vitamin A can be advantageously employed in accordance with the present invention. Thus, for example, such dry forms of stable Vitamin A are shown, for example, in US. Pat. Nos.: 2,518,230; 2,777,798; 2,796,380; 2,973,266; 2,980,587; 3,067,105; and 3,186,909.

Again, it is pointed out that all such stable forms of Vitamin A are well known in the art and any of the same can be advantageously employed as a dispersion of the active material in the filtering medium or tabacco charge of the filtered or non-filtered cigarette in accordance with the present invention. Here again, therefore, the description of the present invention with respect to the applicable utilization of a stabilized form of Vitamin A is meant to embrace any and all of the above or similar systems or compositions.

The present invention will now be described in more detail with respect to the accompanying figures wherein, like numerals represent like elements throughout.

FIG. 1 represents a non-filter cigarette which contains a dispersion of a stabilized form of Vitamin A. In this regard, as employed throughout the instant specification and claims the expression "dispersion is meant to embrace a random or regular distribution, generally random, of small liquid droplets or tiny particulate matter throughout the tobacco charge or throughout the filtering medium of a filter cigarette. With respect to the employment of an aqueous emulsion of Vitamin A, as employed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the dispersed phase would somewhat resemble a dispersion or aerosol of small liquid droplets wherein each droplet tends to be in the form of a liquid center containing the active Vitamin A surrounded and protected from the atmosphere by a second liquid stable to decomposition and degradation. Thus, such emulsion somewhat resembles the employment of micro-encapsulated Vitamin A, except that a multiplicity of liquid phases are present.

FIG. 2 represents a filter cigarette in accordance with the present invention. Thus, as to be hereinafier described, such filter cigarette 20 can contain the dispersion of Vitamin A either distributed throughout the filter matrix or distributed throughout the tobacco charge of the cigarette. Additionally, however, it should be recognized that to provide greater entrainment of Vitamin A and greater introduction of the active material into the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker, such a filter cigarette could combine both embodiments wherein the Vitamin A is dispersed in a stabilized form in both the tobacco charge and filtering element.

The non-filter cigarette 10 of FIG. 1 is partially shown in cross-section in FIG. 3. This figure illustrates the now conventional cigarette including a bumable paper wrapping or casing 30 and a tobacco charge 32 located within the tubular casing 30. As shown in FIG. 3, dispersed throughout the tobacco charge 32 is a dispersion 34 of tiny droplets or aerosol of a stabilized form of a Vitamin A active material. In this regard, as previously noted, such stabilized form of the Vitamin A active material can take the form of various conventional stabilized compositions, including among others, stabilized aqueous solutions and emulsions of Vitamin A or its derivatives or a gelled stabilized form of the active vitamin in the form of discrete beadlets or droplets.

The dispersion of the stabilized form of the Vitamin A active material can be provided in the tobacco charge 32 in any conventional manner. Thus, for example, in the case where an aqueous solution or emulsion of the Vitamin A active material is employed, such solution or emulsion can be sprayed or injected into the tobacco charge by suitable apparatus. Thus, for example, any conventional means of spraying or injecting a liquid or emulsion can be employed in order to provide the dispersion of the Vitamin A active material in the tobacco charge of the cigarette. In this regard, it is to be noted that upon dispersion of the stabilized Vitamin A active material in the tobacco charge 32 such dispersion 34 generally takes the form of an aerosol or tiny droplets of the stabilized active material.

In lieu of spraying or injecting the stabilized form of the Vitamin A active material into the tobacco charge 32 of the cigarette it is, of course, possible to coat or impregnate the tobacco fibers with a suitable solution or emulsion of the stabilized Vitamin A active material or any other form thereof. By coating or impregnating the tobacco fibers, it is, of course, possible to produce a cigarette wherein the tobacco charge contains the stabilized form of a VitaminA active material as a dispersion of the same, i. e., in the form of discrete droplets which can be entrained by the smoke passing through the cigarette.

The filter cigarette 20 of FIG. 2 is shown in partial crosssection in FIG. 4. This figure illustrates the now familiar filtertip cigarette including a burnable paper wrapping or casing 30, a tobacco charge 32, and a filter-tip at the mouth end comprising a filter casing or tipping paper 40 and a filtering medium or matrix 42. The filtering medium or matrix 42 can comprise any of the standard materials now employed in the filtering of cigarettes and similar smoking articles. Thus, the filtering material or medium can comprise wadded cotton or rolled gauze, rolled crimped cellulose sheet material, a matrix of charcoal or glass fibers, or a synthetic resinous material capable of entrapping the deleterious solid particles in the tobacco smoke.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the filtering medium or matrix 42 has dispersed throughout the same a stabilized form of a Vitamin A active material designated as 34. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4 the Vitamin A active material in a stabilized form, i. e., a stable solution or aqueous emulsion of the Vitamin A active material, is dispersed throughout the filtering medium 42 as tiny droplets or an aerosol of the active vitamin. In such a manner, when the smoke produced by the burning of the tobacco charge 32 within the bumable wrapper or casing 30 passes through the filtering medium or matrix 42, such smoke will pickup or entrain the tiny droplets or aerosol containing the Vitamin A active material and carry the same out of the filter of the cigarette to the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker. Accordingly, the Vitamin A active material, i. e., Vitamin A itself or esters thereof, will pass with the smoke in the form of tiny droplets or an aerosol or dissolved in the particulate matter of the smoke into the respiratory tract of the smoker wherein the Vitamin A or its derivatives can exhibit its beneficial effect.

It is to be pointed out that while FIG. 2 illustrates the presence of the dispersion of stabilized Vitamin A active material throughout the tobacco charge 32 of the cigarette, it is, of course, obvious that most or all of the active vitamin can be localized in one or more portions of the tobacco charge or as illustrated can be uniformly and evenly distributed throughout the entire cigarette.

Similarly, while FIG. 4 illustrates a filter cigarette containing the Vitamin A active material dispersed throughout the filtering medium or matrix 42, it should be obvious that the stabilized form of Vitamin A active material can be present both in the filtering medium 42, as shown in FIG. 4, and throughout the tobacco charge 32, as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, by employing the stabilized fon'n of Vitamin A or its derivatives in both the filtering medium and tobacco charge of a filter cigarette in accordance with the present invention it is possible to entrain more of the active vitamin in the smoke passing through the tobacco charge and filter. Accordingly, in this manner it is possible to introduce more of the active vitamin into the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker.

Returning to FIG. 4, it is noted that such figure represents a filtering medium which is substantially uniform throughout the filtering element of the cigarette. It is, of course, obvious that such a representation is only exemplary of a variety of types of filtering mediums which are well known and, accordingly, which can be employed in accordance with the present invention. Thus, for example, various combination filtering mediums, e. g., combinations of cellulose and charcoal, for example, can be employed in accordance with the present invention, the stabilized form of Vitamin A being dispersed within the cellulosic portion of the combination filter. Thus, in this regard, again, it is to be noted that the representation as shown in FIG. 4 is only exemplary and any conventional type of filtering medium or arrangement of filtering elements can be advantageously employed in accordance with the present invention. In this regard, also, the stabilized form of Vitamin A need not be uniformly distributed throughout the filtering medium but the bulk or substantially all of this active material can be localized. In this regard, it may be preferential to localize the majority of the dispersion of stabilized Vitamin A or its derivatives close to the mouth end of the cigarette so that there will be less interference with the entrainment and carrying of the active vitamin to the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker.

A further embodiment is shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment the dispersion of a stabilized form of a Vitamin A active material is shown as applied to the burnable wrapper or casing 30 surrounding the tobacco charge of the cigarette as well as to the end paper or tipping paper 40 surrounding the filtering element. Thus, it has been discovered that in lieu of introducing the Vitamin A active material into the tobacco charge 32 and/or filtering medium 42 it is possible to obtain entrainment of the active vitamin in the smoke passing through the cigarette by applying the active vitamin to the burnable wrapper or casing 30 and end paper or tipping paper 40. Such application of the stabilized form of the Vitamin A active material can be applied to the burnable wrapper or casing 30 and end or tipping paper 40 by any conventional means, e. g., spraying.

Additionally, it should be recognized that while FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment wherein the stabilized form of Vitamin A is employed both in conjunction with the burnable wrapper or casing 30 and end or tipping paper 40, the same need not be employed with respect to both, but, suitable amounts of the stabilized form of the Vitamin A active material can be employed in conjunction with either of the papers employed in the production of the cigarette. Additionally, however, it must be recognized that in addition to employing the stabilized form of a Vitamin A active material in conjunction with the papers of the cigarette as shown in FIG. 5, such use of the Vitamin A in conjunction with the papers can be employed together with the employment of the dispersion of the Vitamin A active material in the tobacco charge and/or filtering medium of the cigarette.

Although the present invention is specifically directed to a filter cigarette capable of allowing the introduction of active Vitamin A into the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker, it should be obvious that the stabilized form of Vitamin A can additionally contain other materials which can have a pleasing or beneficial effect when thaken into the body. Thus, for example, in addition to the active Vitamin A within the stabilized form of the same such solution or emulsion, bead or droplet employed in accordance with the present invention can contain other agents such as flavorants, e. g., menthol or chlorophyll or other health benefiting agents, e. g., other vitamins including,but not limited thereto,Vitamins C, D, E, etc.

As indicated previously, the present invention comprises an improvement over previously employed means for introducing Vitamin A into the mouth and respiratory tract of the smoker in that employing a dispersion of a stabilized form of Vitamin A, particularly, a Vitamin A solution or aqueous emulsion, it is possible to provide greater entrainment of the active vitamin in the smoke passing through the filter medium of the cigarette. Thus, it has been found in accordance with the present invention that as much as three times the entrainment and delivery of Vitamin A can be achieved through the employment of the system as disclosed herein as compared to previously adopted means for introducing Vitamin A into the mouth and respiratory tract of a smoker.

What is claimed is:

1. A filter cigarette for introducing vitamin A into the mouth and respiratory tract of a smoker comprising a tubular wrapper having a tobacco charge at one end thereof, a fibrous filtering medium within the wrapper and at the mouth end of the said cigarette downstream from the tobacco, said filtering medium having dispersed within the mass thereof a stabilized aqueous emulsion of a controlled amount of a Vitamin A active material selected from Vitamin A and active esters thereof, whereby after the cigarette is lit and suction applied thereto, Vitamin A is carried in the smoke to the respiratory tract of the smoker. v

2. The cigarette of claim 1 wherein said Vitamin A active material is an active ester of Vitamin A. 

2. The cigarette of claim 1 wherein said Vitamin A active material is an active ester of Vitamin A. 